Cuts loom at South San ISD after tax election fails

By Brian Contreras, Staff Writer

Published
6:46 pm CDT, Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Superintendent Dr. Abelardo Saavedra steps in to greet supporters as South San school district officials gather Taqueria Restaurant to hear election results in the tax ratification election on August 14, 2018. Dr. Abelardo Saavedra less

Superintendent Dr. Abelardo Saavedra steps in to greet supporters as South San school district officials gather Taqueria Restaurant to hear election results in the tax ratification election on August 14, 2018. ... more

Photo: Tom Reel, Staff / Staff Photographer

Photo: Tom Reel, Staff / Staff Photographer

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Superintendent Dr. Abelardo Saavedra steps in to greet supporters as South San school district officials gather Taqueria Restaurant to hear election results in the tax ratification election on August 14, 2018. Dr. Abelardo Saavedra less

Superintendent Dr. Abelardo Saavedra steps in to greet supporters as South San school district officials gather Taqueria Restaurant to hear election results in the tax ratification election on August 14, 2018. ... more

Photo: Tom Reel, Staff / Staff Photographer

Cuts loom at South San ISD after tax election fails

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Tuesday’s rejection of a proposed tax hike by South San Antonio Independent School District voters has district leaders preparing to cut expenses — including a still-unknown number of staff cuts — to meet a budget deficit, officials said.

“The decision has been made,” said superintendent Abelardo Saavedra, who had pushed for the failed tax ratification election, or TRE. “We know what we have... to work with as we start the next school year ... We have numerous things that we will consider as far as reductions.”

If approved, the TRE would have increased the district’s tax rate by 13 cents per $100 of property value, raising an estimated $6.3 million in revenue. Amid dropping enrollment and resources, it would have come close to filling a $6.4 million budgetary hole.

But the results of Tuesday’s election — more than 57 percent of the votes were against the proposal, according to the district’s Facebook page — mean the shortfall will instead be met with cuts to programs and staff.

Some of those cuts already have been decided, Saavedra said, such as a 10 percent reduction in all non-staffing budgets that will take effect immediately. But more are on the way and will be finalized in coming weeks.

Saavedra said school principals have been asked to identify specific reductions they can make on their campuses. For instance, all elementary schools will eliminate around $55,000 in spending but can choose where that money comes from.

“We actually are talking about a lot of different” options, he said.

District-wide, he estimated on Wednesday that about 20 staff positions will be eliminated, based on current recommendations from principals and other leaders. On Tuesday, he had estimated about 30 positions were up for elimination.

“Some (cuts) are at the school level that principals have recommended; others will be at the central office level,” Saavedra said. “I also intend to go back to principals in the next few days to determine, is this their final decision? Are they cutting this position, or are they going to do something different, cut something else? So that’s why it’s hard at this point to actually delineate ... specifically what are the things that are on the chopping block, because there’s still a lot of negotiating ... that we’ll need to have with individual administrators.”

He said three to five central office positions are being considered for elimination, but declined to specify which ones because the employees involved have not been briefed.

“We’re asking that cuts only be made by attrition, and that’s quite possible,” said Tom Cummins, president of the Bexar County Federation of Teachers, the union representing South San teachers. “So hopefully no actual person will be cut.”

The larger impact of the election remains to be seen, but the loss of support for desirable programs and opportunities increases the risk that parents will take their children elsewhere, Saavedra said.

“We are on a decline in reference to enrollment to begin with,” Saavedra said. “I anticipate this might increase that decline.”

For some, declining enrollment is what made downsizing necessary.

“Less students requires less professional staff to accommodate our students,” wrote trustee Connie Prado — who opposed the TRE — in a statement. “The Superintendent was not proactive at the end of this school year by eliminating professional positions through attrition i.e., resignations, retirements, etc.”

Prado said South San’s ratio of administrative staff to teaching staff leans too heavily toward the former, and suggested that the district “consider placing some... professionals back in the classroom in order to fill vacancies.”

Chief academic officer Delinda Castro, responding to questions about the district being given a “D” by the Texas Education Agency in the state accountability ratings released Wednesday, said it is ultimately South San students who will be hurt most by the cuts.

“It will put a strain on resources to teachers and students,” she said. “It may limit the district’s ability to provide choice.”

Saavedra said tax elections sometimes pass after initially failing at the polls and he would encourage the board to consider taking the proposal back to voters by as early as May. Cummins said the union will also be pushing for another vote.

“There’s no doubt that this district is in dire need of additional revenue if it’s going to continue to provide quality educational opportunities for kids,” Saavedra said. “Without additional revenue, you basically have your hands tied behind your back.”

By May, Saavedra will no longer be superintendent and will be teaching at Texas A&M University in College Station. The failure of the TRE might impact the search for his successor, he said.

“I think applicants will consider the outcome of this election in whether they apply or don’t apply,” Saavedra said. “Any prudent applicant will consider all the dynamics of a particular school system, and I think this will be one of those dynamics that they’ll consider.”